What is the weather like?

The Azores are located in the temperate area of the Northern Hemisphere and are characterised by their mild climate throughout the year.

Although rain and clouds are a possibility on any day, the summer season, June to October, is characterised by longer periods of sunshine and higher temepratures.

The average air temperature varies between 13°C (Jan – Mar) and 22°C (Jul – Sep) and the average water temperature varies from 14°C (Mar – May) and 22 – 24°C (Aug – Nov).

You have to remember that we are a dot in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, so the weather can be very changeable

What sort of wetsuit should I bring?

A 5mm or 6mm wetsuit is suitable during the summer months, at any other time it would be better to use a semi-dry suit or a dry-suit if you have one.

We have 6mm to 7.5mm wetsuits for rent and if you feel the cold, we also have undervests.

What accommodation is available? and Do you provide accommodation?

The accommodation on the Island varies from 4* Hotels to camp sites, with prices from expensive to budget.
You can either look at our local recommendations here or use a website like booking.com.
If you are using a search engine, our centre is based in Angra do Heroismo, so you will need to use that in your search.

What are your rates for Hotel and diving packages?

We do not offer Hotel and diving packages ourselves.

However, you can book a stay at the Hotel do Caracol with some diving with us via PADI Travel.

Their logo is on our home page and that link will take you through to the appropriate page.

Our diving prices are located here and does include 6 or 10 dive packages which can be used individually or shared between 2 people. Please confirm with us before booking.

Can I dive with Mantas, Whales, Sharks?

The only way to dive with Pelagics is to go to one of the offshore seamounts, either the Banco D. João de Castro or Princess Alice.

The closest one to us is the Banco D. João de Castro. It is 35 nautical miles away and is one of the most ambitious, more difficult to access, and less frequented dive sites of the Azores archipelago.

Princess Alice is 48 nautical miles away from PICO island and is therefore not accessible to us.

The banco D. João de Castro is a large submarine volcano that emerges from about 1000 meters deep to a minimum of 13 meters. This is a special place where we experience a dive above an active volcano and can encounter some pelagic fish, like the magnificent Devil Ray.

This dive is only for experienced divers AOW minimum with 50 dives and a precheck dive is mandatory.

As these sites are quite remote and are very weather dependant, for your comfort and safety the decision to go is at the discretion of the boat captain

The Azores are one of the few places in the world where it’s possible to dive with one of the fastest fish in the oceans, the Blue Shark.

Important information:– There is a defined code of conduct for diving with sharks which must be understood and followed by all divers

How do I get there and how do I travel between Islands?

This is one of the most popular questions we are asked. As stated earlier, the Azores are in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean approximately 2500km from the mainland. This is a 2.5 hour flight from Lisbon.
Instead of posting all the information on how to get here and travel around, click here for a blog post which explains how to get here and travel between Islands.